Note: The year 2005 reprint from Aniplex was made for the purpose of releasing a disc without the controversial "Label Gate" copy protection software, as the original version had come with this software.

Atlus' pseudo-sequel to Hoshigami, Stella Deus, made waves in Japan with gameplay and storyline that has been the first to rival Final Fantasy Tactics over the last five years. Of course, when I say "rival", I may also say "clone": especially in regards to the music, done by the same composers, the classic tag-team comprising of Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaaharu Iwata.

If you've listened to the Final Fantasy Tactics OST and enjoyed it, then you should not be surprised to find out that you will also enjoy the Stella Deus OST. This music is on par, but it's quite fresh to the ears of one who hasn't heard music of this sort composed for years.

For those among us that are somehow unaware of what I call the "Sakimoto strategy RPG style", expect to hear the most incredible synthesized music of your life: it is as close to "real, live instrument" as you can get without actually recording the live instrument. Sakimoto and Iwata are uncompromising in their use of these incredible synth sounds: harp, strings, orchestra, horns, brass, booming percussion, light percussion: it's all there.

The compositions are also beautiful. I haven't even played Stella Deus, yet I know that not only is the music composed with a mark of genius, but the music will also make for wonderful background music in the game (many have already experienced the joy of playing the game and hearing the music, and I am envious). Not only do we have 41 beautiful instrumental pieces, but Sakimoto and Iwata venture into a place they usually don't go: vocals. The ending track is a female vocal piece that is anything but bland: the structure of the song, the movement of the 3/4 time signature, all of it just flows together seamlessly. I fell in love with this song on first listen, and it is going to be one of my favorite female vocal tracks for years to come.

My single complaint about this soundtrack is that the pieces are not looped, and I definitely do not enjoy having over 40 songs stuck on one disc. If this soundtrack had been "Final Fantasy Tactics II", you know the producers of the soundtrack would have looped the instrumentals and made the soundtrack a double-disc set: and that's how it should have been.

For years, I have been listening to dozens of bland OSTs that sometimes I could care less about; as a result, I am quickly jaded. Then that bright shining light comes that restores my hope in VGM: this soundtrack is one of those lights. Do not miss out on it.